Sperry spurted out to an 18-7 lead by the end of the first quarter; the Pirates continued to churn ahead in the second quarter, outscoring Barnsdall, 39-4.

In the fourth quarter, Barnsdall outpointed the Pirates, 20-19.

Christenson assumed leadership of a Barnsdall team that returned only one full-time starter (Cody Klutts) from the previous year, when his dad (Dale Christenson) coached the Panthers. Dale is now the head girls basketball coach at Shidler, where Jake worked last year as the head boys basketball coach.

Jake envisioned Barnsdall going into this season with four guards and one post player (Klutts) in the starting line.

"We’ll try to play fast," Jake said last week during a preseason interview.

In addition to trying to forge some success this season, he also has an eye on the future.

"The biggest thing is four of the five guys I’m going to start will come back next year," he explained. "They’re all guards so they’ll have a chance to learn under my system."

Jake ended up at Barnsdall because the school needed both a teacher and a coach, and his dad already had a teaching job at Pawhuska High School.

"The biggest question for me is how we can hang with teams that have bigger guys," noted Jake.

That query certainly had application Monday. Sperry put a lineup on the court that included the 6-foot-6 Cole, 6-foot-3 Colton Ketcherside, 6-foot-2 Josh Bridgeman and 6-foot-2 Colton Simmons.

Barnsdall, on the other hand, answered with 6-foot-3 Hansen and 5-foot-10 Klutts, among its tallest athletes.

Conditioning will play a key in Barnsdall’s ability to be competitive, Jake added.

One of the side-benefits of his job at Barnsdall is being able to work with girls head coach and Oklahoma coaching legend Joe Gilbert, who has coached since the 1950s at the school.

"You really watch and you see his dedication," explained Jake. "I wouldn’t think a man who has been at the same place so long would have the fire like he does."

Jake also appreciates the influence of his dad , who coached many years at Pawhuska, both as an assistant and head coach, before helping out at Barnsdall and Shidler.

"He wants me to make my own decisions," Jake added. "It’s nice to be able to come to Barnsdall with the base of groundwork he’s laid with these kids that I’m able to come in and coach."

Although he competed at Pawhuska High School in basketball, Jake went to college on a rodeo scholarship, as a steer roper.